


Zhia Pt. 3 Negotiations

by fromGallifreytoGallitep (sykira)



Series: Zhia’kala Tar’eh arranged marriage [3]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Forced Marriage, Past Rape/Non-con, kirashir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22013056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sykira/pseuds/fromGallifreytoGallitep
Summary: Part of a re-imagining of the series in which Sisko's role is more than the Federation's representative: as emissary he is selected to seal the relationship between Bajor and the Federation by entering into an arranged marriage with Kira per Bajoran tradition and prophecy.This section takes place during and after the season one episode "The Storyteller" (ep1x14)
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Kira Nerys, Kira Nerys/Benjamin Sisko
Series: Zhia’kala Tar’eh arranged marriage [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560253
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. Elements

**Author's Note:**

> Once again my apologies for the delay in updating this series, I have 20k more words written, but it's so talky and soo slow burn I can't imagine anyone is still reading, but for some reason writing this is my therapy, and elixir of joy, so here it is. A million thank yous to anyone still reading!

Dax flopped down in the chair across from Benjamin just as he finished his morning raktajino. “I’ve been doing some research.”

“Oh yes? On anything in particular?”

“Bajoran wedding customs.”

He steepled his fingers in front of him, contemplating asking her if anything in particular had prompted this ‘research’ – but knowing Dax if he just waited she would lay out her reasoning.

She put her feet up on his extra chair. “You’ve got the wedding negotiations coming up. I figured since the vedeks have been doing an exhaustive review of historical Earth traditions to terrify poor Nerys, maybe we should be looking into Bajoran traditions.”

“Mmm,” he murmured in agreement, his mouth twisting in distaste. He wouldn’t have gone as far as to say the vedeks’ express purpose was to frighten Nerys, but a couple of them at least seemed to take an unsavory interest in relaying salacious details.

They were not long back from a fateful trip to the Gamma quadrant, harrowing for all of them, but more so for Kira as she was forced to leave Kai Opaka behind. Yet when faced with the possibility that he had been injured both her words and her touch had been… _proprietary_ was the best word for it he supposed. Proprietary, albeit hesitant, and it had stirred something in him to be the focus of her attention. 

Since then something had shifted between them, he could feel it. And it made his protective instincts rise to the fore when he thought of the upcoming meeting with the council of ministers on Bajor. 

Dax was still talking. Sisko did his best to concentrate. His mind was preoccupied with facilitating negotiations between the Paqu and Navot, and it wasn’t going well. He hadn’t had any time to devote to preparing for the marriage talks with the vedeks, and his head hurt just thinking about it.

“…And we’ve just left it up to Starfleet anthropologists to do their own research on Bajoran marriage, or so I found out when I reached out to the admirals’ committee.” Dax huffed a breath, not looking like she held a particularly high opinion of the committee.

“Indeed.” Benjamin sipped his raktajino. “And I thought they have been consulting with the admirals who went along with this whole thing?”

“Hmm, to some extent, but they mostly focused on the fluffy progressive stuff as a chance to keep the Federation on the backfoot for how we’re never quite as enlightened as we like to think we are.” She rolled her eyes.

Benjamin blinked. “I’m not following.”

“Like how Bajor doesn’t conflate virginity with notions of purity, and their brides aren’t expected to be sexually inexperienced as they enter into marriage.”

Sisko nodded and hummed his agreement.

“…And that relates to the Bajoran reluctance to marry anyone off before the age of thirty, at a minimum—that it’s not considered wise to marry before having all manner of other life experiences and other relationships. They go on for pages and pages about what we can learn from Bajorans, but they are sweeping a lot of the less savory stuff under the rug.”

“Yes, I remember all this from the briefing.”

“The briefing skipped right over another related cultural difference – you’ll notice Bajoran wedding vows have no ‘forsake all others’.”

Sisko raised an eyebrow. 

“ _Forsake all others,_ ” he echoed, “you mean—”

“I mean if you or Kira wanted to take a lover, it wouldn’t be considered adultery by Bajorans unless you did it secretly and without the blessing of your spouse. Giving your blessing is optional, but like with remaining a virgin until marriage, withholding such permission is considered somewhat backward and gauche—so generally a social taboo unless there’s a very good reason.”

Sisko spread his hands. “Why are you telling me this, old man. There’s no one else. Unless you think Nerys has someone?” His face fell and his chest tightened, he had never even considered that possibility, and it took him by surprise how much it bothered him.

“Nope. I did some recon because earlier I thought maybe that was why she was so reluctant – it would have made sense to me that she didn’t want to be the bride of the emissary if she was in a relationship already, but there’s no one, and hasn’t been for years as far as I can tell. Too busy fighting for her life to invest in romantic relationships.”

Sisko passed a hand over his face. “Okay,” he said slowly, exhaling. “Am I to presume we _are_ having this conversation for a reason though?”

“That’s not the only way in which Bajoran marriage differs from Human marriage.”

There was hesitation in her voice, and an absence of her usual lightness of bearing that made his heart sink. “Go on, old man.”

“Well, as a Human there are some parts to the wedding you would consider optional, that if you skipped them you would still consider yourself married, right?”

“Lots. Mostly just traditions. I’m not going to be removing her garter in public or kissing on demand if someone taps their champagne glass at the reception.” 

Jadzia’s eyes boggled. 

Clearly those traditions were just Terran ones. “For example,” he added.

“Uh…right. But some elements are essential to a Human wedding, like a…” Dax trailed off and consulted her notes. “The marriage license, the officiant, at least one witness, and some kind of marriage contract.”

“Sure,” Sisko replied. “And vows.”

Jadzia gave him a gesture to continue.

“Well, vows to forsake all others comes to mind, but I suppose we can dispense with that in this case. To love, honor, protect, cherish, whether healthy or ill, rich or poor, to death do us part.”

“Human wedding vows used to have a clause where the wife would promise to obey the husband, did you know that?”

He snorted. “I somehow doubt Major Kira would approve.” Then he waved his hand. “Anyway, you say Human wedding vows but there are many variations of Human, Dax.”

“I specifically researched North American Humans—even looked to see if New Orleans had any specific traditions.”

He held up his hands. “I’m not asking her to make archaic vows to obey me, or bequeath me her forefather’s ancestral land, or anything like that, and I’ll go along with whatever Bajoran traditions demands. Where are you going with this?”

For the first time in a long time, Dax—who Sisko knew prided herself on being able to roll with just about any cultural peculiarity after so many lifetimes—looked actually uncomfortable. “ _Whatever_ Bajoran tradition demands?”

He stilled, steeling himself.

“You aren’t going to like this,” she warned.

“Just say it, old man.”

“If an Earth marriage went unconsummated would it still count as a marriage?”

He closed his eyes, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. _Anything but this._ “No one has to know.” His hand made a fist on his thigh. “It’s between a husband and wife, it is no one else’s business.”

“That’s what I told her.”

“You talked about this with Kira?” His voice was incredulous.

“That’s what prompted my research – something she said. She was stunned when I casually mentioned just what you just did—that no one has to know so if that was something that was worrying her, not to let it.”

“You mean—you told her she and I don’t have to…”

“Sleep together? Not ever, if she doesn’t want to. After what happened at the end of the dinner party in your quarters…I thought you said you were going to say the same thing.”

“I did. But honestly, she was in a state of shock at the idea that I might call off the wedding and I’m not sure she was hearing me. She kind of shut down, I think, it was hard to tell. My timing was stupid, I felt awkward, I just dumped it on her all at once.”

“I think it’s a topic we all treat less seriously than someone who lived her entire life under an occupation,” Dax said soberly.

Sisko forced himself to relax his fist and drop his thunderous expression. Jadzia looked more vulnerable than he was used to and it wasn’t her he was angry at. “Okay?” he reached out for her then, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

She nodded, meeting his eyes. He could see his own worry for Nerys reflected back at him in her gaze. 

“So your research?” he asked softly.

“Right. So, it’s not about ‘no one has to know’ – it’s as if you skipped having a properly authorized person perform the ceremony, would you consider yourself married?”

“I suppose not.”

“Or if you skipped signing the forms, or had no witness, or said no vows.”

He passed a hand over his face again. “You’re saying in her mind, consummating the marriage is essential to _make_ it a marriage.”

“In the mind of _any_ Bajoran, yes.”

“So she’ll force herself to go through with…every part of a wedding.” He sighed heavily.

Dax fell silent as he stood up, pacing his office.

Eventually she spoke up again, attempting to sound philosophical. “There is a positive way of looking at this you know.”

He turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

Jadzia tilted her head. “She is the one wanting to move forward with setting a date, even with this part of things not being optional for her.”  
  
“That’s true,” Sisko mused. “But she also said she will do whatever it takes to make this marriage happen,” he added blackly.

“She did?” Jadzia looked more troubled than ever now.

He nodded glumly, sitting down heavily. “Said she would agree to anything I want, as long as I didn’t call off the wedding.”

Dax sucked in a breath. “Benjamin.”

“I know.”


	2. If Anything Goes Wrong

“Coming about at mark two, bearing one point eight, estimated time of arrival, 0800 hours,” Dax informed the small crew as she piloted the Orinoco smoothly away from Deep Space Nine and began an unhurried descent to the planet below.

There was no response, save a gruff single nod from Benjamin who sat beside her at the helm. Dax had been willing to be co-pilot to Kira, who usually liked to pilot any trip they took, but today she had just shook her head and let Dax pilot while sat at the back with Julian.

Dax knew Bashir and herself were just along for the ride – the vedek council requiring one female and one male Federation representative accompany the bride and groom to these nuptial negotiations. “I could pick up the pace a little?” she offered, hoping to stir up some conversation before the heavy silence became overbearing. 

Benjamin looked back at Kira. “I don’t think we’re in any hurry, old man. Besides, we already got away earlier than scheduled.”

 _Yeah, because I’m not sure either of you got any sleep at all last night._ The runabout glided smoothly through space, and Dax sighed internally. She loved her friends and wished she could do something to relieve the tension. Casting a glance over her shoulder at Julian, she could see he was just as preoccupied as the other two. He tore his eyes away from Kira to meet Jadzia’s gaze, and gave her a small helpless shrug. 

_Right then._ She surreptitiously altered the tilt setting on the recursion buffers, and predictably the Orinoco shuddered slightly.

“Dax?” Kira’s voice was sharp. Benjamin swiveled his chair around to face her, concern creasing his forehead.

“Relax, it’s nothing,” she said soothingly. “Just clearing the buffers.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Dax saw Julian reach across to Kira, his fingertips resting lightly on her chair for a moment. She met his eyes and smiled thinly, then nodded at Benjamin.

Good, Dax decided. They had actually looked at each other for the first time that morning, and if nothing else, communicated that _if anything goes wrong, I’m here._

“Could be those voles got into the engines,” she mentioned causally. “You know Chief O’Brien found a new nest last night?”

Kira cleared her throat. “He did?” 

“It was in the overnight activity report.” 

But judging from how glazed over Kira’s eyes had been that morning as she read through the reports when Jadzia had found her at Ops, clutching her raktajino to her chest like a weapon, it was no surprise if she hadn’t taken any of it in.

“Maybe they chewed some wires or something.” Dax smiled impishly at Benjamin when he fixed her with a glare.

“You know all runabouts undergo a thorough safety check before they are cleared for departure, old man,” Benjamin intoned, his eyes flicking back to Nerys.

“Hmm, maybe it’s just a glitch.”

“Mmm,” Benjamin added, his tone suggesting he was less than impressed with her antics. Jadzia just smiled to herself and did her best to look contrite. Silence fell again as she righted the tilt controls, but she liked to imagine it was a little less tense now.

It was going to be a long few days.


	3. Pistols At Dawn

“You are asking for the duties of your second regarding the wedding ceremony preparation?” the council of ministers spokesman clarified, shifting uncomfortably in his podium seat and squinting at Sisko.

“Yes, it would appear we don’t have an equivalent concept of a ‘second’ and the universal translator is having some difficulty.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowded hall of assembly. Sisko glanced over the packed stands of people, at a loss as to why this of all things was a difficult question. He and Dax had already conceded to having a full Bajoran shrine ceremony, and he had been extremely reasonable in not requiring much in the way of Terran marriage customs. 

The spokesman lifted his hands as if confused by the question. “As we have clearly stated and per Federation preference, the second is to be an alternate in name only, called into service only on the occasion the Emissary should meet an untimely end.” 

He paused, waiting for a confirmation from Sisko and Dax that they understood this. At their nod, he continued. “He protects the groom prior to the ceremony, wards off attackers, traditionally. But we don’t anticipate any such in this case, of course.” He cleared his throat. “During the ceremony itself, he serves as something of an acolyte; he stands at the groom’s side, sees to any of his needs. Sometimes he will be the one to make the adjustments to the earring to indicate the change in status to married.” 

“Ah, like a wedding ring – so basically he’s a best man, in charge of the rings, standing up with me.”

Beside him, Dax coughed, and sat forward in her chair. Sisko flashed her a glance, wishing he had taken more time to read through the contractual paperwork sent over by the admirals, but the Paqu and Navot treaty had taken all of his and Kira’s time the last few days. By the time he returned to his quarters in the evenings after dealing with the Tetrarch the last thing he wanted to do was pore over the minutiae of yet more contracts.

They had succeeded with the Paqu and Navot though. From land borders to a free trade agreement, he and Nerys had achieved their first diplomatic success as a joint Bajoran-Federation entity, helping remote Bajoran territories get past their differences and navigate a post-occupation world, despite Cardassians having re-directed the river that had divided their lands for millennia.

For her part, Kira had bailed early in the wedding negotiations – the stuffy chambers of the council were oppressive, and Sisko couldn’t blame her for opting to go visit her home province instead—he just wished he could have been the one to accompany her instead of Doctor Bashir. The vedeks had been fussy about that too, only agreeing to let her go when she accepted Bashir as a travel companion, for reasons Sisko couldn’t fathom.

The spokesman waved a hand. “None of the second’s involvement in the ceremony is critical. As we have already negotiated with the Federation we can forgo any participation of the second at all if you wish, you never even have to lay eyes on him. But a second must be nominated, one way or another.”

Dax spoke up. “Vedek, this isn’t quite translating to Terran culture, could you elaborate further on the role of a second?”

“Well,” the vedek looked to the council of ministers, seemingly genuinely flummoxed by the question. A ranjen came forward with a PADD, which he read from hesitantly. “My apologies lieutenant. To us we know these things just culturally. He must be unmarried, and of the Federation…a male of marriageable age…” He looked to Dax, who spread her hands in a gesture encouraging him to keep going.

He opened his mouth but before he could speak again, Vedek Winn interrupted him. There was a hush as she got to her feet, primly straightening her robes. “Forgive me, delegates, but if I may, we’ve been in session quite some time, and would like to request a short recess—if the Emissary permits?”

His eyebrows going up, Sisko shared a look with Dax. “By all means.”

They were led to a small ante room, with the promise of Bajoran Larish pie in a few moments. Sisko hadn’t the heart to point out the Paqu-Navot negotiations had featured so much Larish pie he had more than had his fill.

As soon as they were alone, Sisko turned to Dax. “Old man? Am I missing something?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Seemed like an impromptu break to me too,” she agreed. “And I have my suspicions as to why.”

“The selection of the best man?”

She nodded. “Could be they want to be the ones to choose him, now that Kira has said she will go along with whatever they decide.”

“ _My_ best man? Shouldn’t that be up to me?”

“It’s not…it doesn’t translate that directly. And actually, Kira is supposed to have the choice, not you, and not them.” She sighed, looking troubled. “Wish it could be me, ” she murmured into her coffee.

His eyebrows rose and he perked up. “As my best man? I would love that. Why don’t we suggest it? After all, you _used_ to be a man.”

She stilled, looking at him. “That’s what I am trying to tell you—this ‘ _second_ ’ is more than a best man, Benjamin.”

He cocked his head and looked back at his notes. “Organizes pre-wedding festivities, keeps everyone safe then gets the groom to the ceremony on time, is in charge of the rings, stands up with him, what am I missing?”

Jadzia’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

“I can see where you came up with the idea that it’s the equivalent of a best man from a Terran wedding ceremony.”

He scrunched up his features. “Why do I get the impression that I’m not going to like where you are going with this?” 

“Do you know what Klingons call a best man? A Tawi’Yan.” At his blank look she continued. “It translates to sword bearer.”

They were interrupted by the arrival of Larish pie and fresh coffee. Sisko stood up and stretched out his back, pacing as the refreshments were set up, then managed to summon a smile of thanks to the twitchy prylar serving them.

“So more a ‘sword bearer’ than a best man?” he prompted as soon as the cleric took his leave.

Dax twisted her lips. “It would be better to think of it as closer to a literal second in a duel.”

At his blank look, she continued, “you know, where some brass-necked man in a holodeck adventure challenges another man to a shoot-out at high noon, or pistols at dawn, or some dramatic time of day, and there’s mist, and then if the main guy bails there’s a nominated ‘second’?”

“The one who takes his place. It’s a marriage, not a gunfight to the death, Dax.”

Dax took a swallow of coffee and nodded, waiting for Benjamin to process this information.

“Are you saying…If I die would Kira then have to marry this second man?”

She tilted her head. “When she marries you she’s actually technically marrying him too, as your second.”

“But the vedeks said I wouldn’t even have to set eyes on the second if I didn’t want to, and neither would Kira,” he sputtered. “How do you get from there to polygamy?”

“Polyandry, actually,” she replied in her smooth science officer voice. “And it’s related to their polyamorous culture, somewhat. They are giving you the out of never even meeting the second as a nod to your off-worlder monogamous ways—and because other than in arranged political couplings like yours, a second existing at all is very much optional. But if you die, or if you deserted Nerys, they would expect the second to step up into your role – and maintain the relationship between the Federation and Bajor.”

He sat down heavily. “That’s why it has to be a Federation man – not even someone she is already comfortable with – like…I don’t know, Odo?”

“Right. Although that’s interesting, she suggested him too, during the pre-negotiation back and forth.”

“How does that relate to…wait, Nerys suggested Odo? Does she know all this?”

“It wasn’t news to her, if that’s what you mean. In a ceremonial marriage such as this one they were usually all at least acquainted, and the second would be a full husband as much as her first. I spoke with her a little about it, she and I were hoping they would skip this part entirely in deference to Terran monogamy.”

“But they won’t?” His tone indicated he already knew the answer.

“Unfortunately not. Having a second nominated in name only, but still a legal spouse—even if one you never meet—is the most that could be negotiated before you were even tapped by the Federation to take on this assignment. It was a sticking point for them, which might be why they got nervous and called a recess. They would much prefer a full second Federation husband hanging around, for security.”

“But…as it is now, this ‘second’ would still step into my role and be her husband if I am out of the picture?”

“Uh huh, it looks that way.”

“Well then.” He stood up and went to the viewport window. “We need someone Kira is as comfortable with as possible, and then hope nothing happens to me.” He turned to her with a wry half-smile and retrieved his mug. “More and more I wish it could be you.”

“You think I didn’t try?”

He almost choked on his coffee. “Old man?”

“Not _man_ enough for the council of ministers to accept me as a second unfortunately, and I did offer them a treatise on symbionts and gender fluidity, they weren’t buying it. Bajorans can be progressive in some ways but they want this arranged marriage to be between a man and a woman.”

He was still staring at her. “So you would have…you…and Kira?”

“You mean am I attracted to her? Hell yes!” She grinned at his expression, then shrugged. “I’ll admit my motivations are mostly selfish, but also I have a strong sense that I could have got her past this whole consummation thing with considerably less trauma.”

He blew out a long breath. “Yes, I imagine you could. I mean, if she would be comfortable being with a woman…”

“Oh I think so.” Dax hid her enigmatic smile behind a sip of coffee. “Council of ministers wouldn’t go for it though.”

He lapsed into thoughtful silence for a while. “You think we could get Odo a Starfleet commission or something? Get him to join the Federation?”

She shrugged. “Even if the Bajorans would go for that, they’re friends—good friends, but Kira seemed weirded out by the idea even though she was the one who suggested him.” She took a slow sip of coffee, then nonchalantly lifted a slice of Larish pie, turning it over in her hand. “What about Julian?”

Sisko paused with his coffee cup hallway to his mouth. “That’s… _Julian?_ ”

Jadzia just watched him, taking a bite of pie and observing his reaction. She had not made this suggestion lightly. “What’s your first objection?”

“Young. He’s young.”

“So is Kira, and he is older than she is.”

“Good point,” he acknowledged slowly.

“So really that actually is a positive,” Jadzia asserted. “Nor does this preclude him from taking other partners should he wish to, even marrying someone else, if that’s what you are thinking when you mention his age.”

“Even if something happened to me?”

“As long as he agreed that he would also act as husband to Kira, in that circumstance.”

“Bajorans really allow plural marriage, huh.” He looked down into his coffee cup. “Is there a limit on the number of spouses?”

She jutted out her lower lip, thinking. “I know they can have more than one spouse but in all my research I haven’t come across anyone with more than two.”

“Do you think he would agree to be a second? To be a husband to Kira in the event—”

“Yes,” Dax answered without any hesitation. “No doubt about it.”

“And, uh, would she be required to…” Sisko trailed off, grimacing.

“Are you going to ask if she would be expected to sleep with him—if something were to happen to you?”

“Yeah.”

“I was wondering that too. As far as I can tell, the answer is no, but there is no precedent—because these were all previously full marriages it seems—even when it was just a political union, but I am willing to bet that in the hopefully extremely unlikely event we lose you, no one would be pressing for that. She would already be married to him; there would be no way to enforce it.”

“Wait…so what if I die naturally at age 100 or something, and he’s still around?”

“This all only applies while the bride is of child-bearing age. Historically anyway.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah. With political allegiance weddings it was largely about uniting bloodlines—they couldn’t risk a spouse dying before that was achieved. You two at least are spared that part.” She looked at him speculatively. “Although I don’t know, first Bajoran-Human baby, I bet he’d be adorable.” She couldn’t resist a grin and she knew she saw Benjamin’s eyes light up although he chose not to comment.

She finished off her Larish pie. After a long silence, he ventured, “I have another question.”

He looked uneasy. Dax put her hand on his shoulder. “That’s what I’m here for. I am a veritable font of arcane information on Bajoran political marriages now. You should eat some pie though, it might be rude not to, and besides, it’s delicious.”

She smiled at him, and he tried to respond, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Dax, if Doctor Bashir would be willing, and as you point out he’s closer to her age, and we know they’ve become friends…why doesn’t she just marry him? Would he not be a more natural choice as the first husband? I could be her second if she wants.”

Dax frowned. She had thought they were past this. “For one thing he is only a lieutenant, and the vedek council seem fond of the fact that in you they’ve got the highest ranking Federation official, remember? And maybe we could have swung some kind of honorary rank promotion with Starfleet under the circumstances, but you are so much more to the Bajorans now. Once the Kai named you Emissary your role in this was sealed—they loved Opaka and she is far from forgotten. If anything she is reified more than ever now she is gone.”

His shoulders slumped.

“Is that still what you want? A way out of this?” Dax inquired gently.

“Honestly?” He looked straight at her. “No. I think you can tell at least some of what I have come to feel for Nerys.”

Dax inhaled deeply. “I suspected,” she murmured, smiling broadly. “But I have to say it’s a great relief to hear you say that.”

“But I still can’t stomach the degree to which she is being forced into all this. Especially the…” He waved his hand, his jaw twitching.

“Sleeping together?”

“Yes. I was much more comfortable when I thought we could skip it – or at least put it off until she came to me of her own free will, even if that was never.”

Benjamin looked thoughtful, Dax just waited, guessing he had more to say. 

“Those first few months any time I suggested anything that let us be alone together — she would freeze up. Even something as simple as offering to walk her to her quarters. And you know how dinner invitations worked out.”

She breathed out slowly, pressing her lips together sadly.

“But we’re having lunch sometimes now, just the two of us,” he offered hopefully. 

“You’ve progressed from breakfasts and brunch then,” she observed with a wry twist to her mouth. 

“My instincts say she needs time. And I need to allow her to be the one to come to me.”

“All well and good, except for this imminent wedding and everything that apparently entails to Bajorans.” She eyed him meaningfully. “But yes, I agree, we need to buy you and her some time. It could be if we can identify a second who she actually knows, and trusts, and who lives on the station with you both—we could try to sell that as us giving in to their preferences on that point, in return for delaying the wedding itself.”

“I fear we’ve delayed as much as we can, Dax. But as you pointed out, Kira herself is the one suggesting we push ahead—with, as you put it, all that entails.”

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “It took how many months to progress from breakfast to lunch? Have you even so much as kissed her yet, Benjamin?”

He gave her a look, and Dax blew out a breath. “I so want to speak to you as Curzon right now.”

“You do?”

“Curzon would say: why can’t you just wine and dine her, make her laugh, don’t give her time to overthink things, take her back to your quarters, have flowers waiting, pour her more wine, light candles, regale her with overblown war stories or get her to talk about _her_ war stories, then just pick your moment and lean in, sweep her off her feet, take her to bed…you know the rest.”

He dropped his face onto his hands. “It’s not that simple. Not with Nerys. For the longest time she wasn’t even happy to be alone with me, probably because she was expecting I’d try something like that.”

“Maybe that’s the problem—you’re both making it into a much bigger thing than it needs to be. You’re both adults, single, ridiculously attractive—”

He eyed her and she smirked. “That’s not so much Curzon speaking now, by the way. Although he would have loved to sweep the major off her feet.”

“I bet. I don’t think she would have gone for him though. And there’s the rub, old man, what if Bashir is more her type than me?”

“You think so?” Dax sounded genuinely surprised. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, for one thing, she is much more comfortable around him. She called him by his first name for a long time while she was still calling me ‘sir’. He doesn’t outrank her. She doesn’t flinch when he touches her, or look like she wants to run away. They talk a lot.”

Dax flicked pie crumbs off her uniform. “And all of that is because no one said _‘you have to marry this guy’_ before she even met him.”

He looked at her askance. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely. If the vedeks and Kai had pronounced Julian the first husband of Bajor, it would be just as awkward between them.”

“She might have been just as awkward at first, but I know Julian would have done a much better job of putting her at her ease than I ha—wait, what did you say?”

Dax wrinkled her brow in confusion, but Benjamin kept talking.

“Do you know, they did…well, Opaka did, when she met him at the airlock that day she came to the station…and she was the one who insisted he come along.”

“You’ve lost me, Benjamin.” She reached for more Larish pie – in the name of diplomacy, it wouldn’t do to leave too much uneaten, and Benjamin wasn’t partaking.

“The Kai. She felt Julian’s pagh, and she told him to take care of Nerys, to protect her…and when the Kai first met him she addressed him as a _‘husband of Bajor’._ Julian corrected her, he thought she had mistaken him for me—but Opaka and I had already met, and talked at length when she confirmed me as Kira’s intended, not to mention the whole Emissary thing, so she definitely knew what I looked like.”

Dax sat back stunned, the pie forgotten. “Benjamin…what are you saying?”

“You can ask Nerys. Both she and Bashir couldn’t figure out why the Kai kept referring to her husband in the plural. And was all over Julian, exhorting him to take care of Kira, especially the pagh thing, saying after she touched him that she foresaw joy now, for Kira.”

Dax breathed out slowly. “So it _is_ him, then. Do you think she meant him as the first?”

Sisko shook his head. “No, I…at least I don’t think so? But I need to talk to him.” He got to his feet and tugged his uniform jacket down. “Or, well, I should talk to Nerys first.”

“Definitely.”

“What if…Dax, what if this is too much for her, two alien men, and what if it ruins her friendship with one of the few people she has gotten close to on the station?” He sat down again. “I can’t do this to her.”

“Then don’t. Let’s talk to her about the general requirement, she already suggested Odo so I don’t think the idea has totally thrown her the way it might if she was from a more strictly monogamous culture. Then see if we can bring up Opaka and what she said, see if she draws her own conclusions.”

“You think so?”

“It’s either that or she could be faced with a stranger. That’s definitely worse.”

Sisko hesitated. “The thing is, old man, the way the Kai spoke about them—us—Julian wasn’t what you are describing, a husband in waiting as it were. Unless, I suppose, I disappear all of a sudden. He was, how do you put it, a full husband.”

“Opaka said that?”

He rubbed his neck. “Not in so many words I suppose.”

“Well, if I may make a suggestion, let’s not put that on Kira right now. Let’s just go with the much easier idea of an ‘in-name-only’ second. That way she doesn’t have to feel awkward around him.”

He rocked back. “I think she will anyway.”

“Not as awkward as she will feel if we suggest she is supposed to take him to bed too.”

His eyes widened, but before he could speak, the door to the anteroom opened, and the prylar indicated they should follow him.

Back in the hall of assembly it was Vedek Winn who was now leading the proceedings. She managed to look much more imperious than the previous spokesman, giving Dax and Sisko a haughty look from the podium as they retook their seats. Jadzia touched her fingertips to her mouth, wondering if she had pie crumbs on her chin or something, or if that was just how Winn looked at everyone.

“In the event of something happening to the Emissary—which we all agree is extremely unlikely given that he is the Emissary—the second attains the full rights and responsibilities of first husband.”

Dax exchanged a look with Benjamin. “Guess we’re getting right to it, then,” she whispered. Then she turned to Winn and raised her voice. “But without the demise of the first, he need not be involved at all?”

“Not if that is how the groom prefers it,” the vedek clarified.

“And is that traditionally how this works?” Dax pressed.

The council looked at each other with disgruntled utterances that Winn quickly hushed with a sharp glance at them. “Not…traditionally, no. But we are aware Human culture is monogamous, and we have no wish to further distress the very young bride with the added burden of a second husband.”

The council erupted in a discordant murmur, which Winn choose to ignore this time. There was a hint of a smile on her face that to Dax suggested she was well aware of the effect of the words she chose. Jadzia was suddenly very glad Kira wasn’t here. Something about this woman Winn made her blood run cold, and she doubted very much that this vedek had Kira’s best interests at heart.

Winn continued, her strident tones coiling around the room. “Not to say, of course, that the Bajoran representative sees this arrangement as anything but an honor. We merely wish to conform to Federation norms as much as possible in selecting one primary husband. There is historical precedent for an effectively monogamous state marriage and we would be happy to provide our research on the matter.”

Dax leaned back in her seat, saying nothing for a moment. Then she glanced to Sisko, a question in her eyes. He nodded his assent.

“Learned council members, honored vedeks,” she began, pilfering the terminology the original spokesman had used at the beginning of the negotiations that morning, hoping to convey that she was talking to them collectively, not just Vedek Winn. The entire hall fell quiet, all their attention on her now instead of Winn. “We would like to posit an alternative.”

“Go on,” Winn instructed, her eyes narrowing.

“If we nominate a second with whom the bride and groom are familiar and comfortable, and who meets all of your criteria, we were wondering if you would consider allowing the wedding timetable to be extended if the marriage itself conformed closer to the Bajoran standard.”

The assembly hall erupted in a discordant symphony of voices. For her part, Winn looked stunned. Dax sat back and looked at Sisko, who was shifting in his seat. “Old man…” he muttered.

“It’s worth a try,” she whispered back.

He gave her a look. “We have to talk to Kira.”


	4. Damages

Dax set the Orinoco down on the plains just to the south of Dahkur province as she relayed their coordinates to Kira and Bashir. Then she turned to her passengers.

“They’ll meet us outside, they are only about ten minutes’ walk away, we could meet them halfway, get some fresh air?”

Sisko nodded. “If that’s alright with you, Vedek Winn?”

Their unexpected guest nodded in acquiescence, and they alighted from the Orinoco. Sisko welcomed the warm sunshine on his face and the soft breeze, the air so sweet after being cooped up inside all day.

Dax pointed out the distant figures of Bashir and Kira making their way through the grasslands towards them, and they set off in their direction.

Sisko could see the vedek eyeing the two of them speculatively. “May I ask the identity of the second you are planning to nominate…?”

“We are not ready to make that information public yet, Vedek,” he articulated clearly, casting a warning glance at Dax. 

“Of course.” Her eyes remained on Kira and Bashir as they approached, sunlight playing on their hair. They were too far away to be heard, but snatches of their laughter drifted across the field towards Sisko, Dax, and Winn.

“I understand. If it is to be a full Bajoran marriage,” Winn continued plaintively, “you will want to make sure the young bride is completely comfortable with him.” 

Sisko could feel the tension headache building behind his eyes. He had no idea why this woman had insisted on joining them to collect Kira and Bashir, but he had the sense he was stepping on ice with their conversation at every turn. “Of course. We wouldn’t choose someone Major Kira wasn’t very sure of.”

Winn stopped walking. “You do understand, I hope,” she replied, her tone affectedly concerned as she pinned Dax and Sisko with a frown, “that the choice of a second husband is Kira’s, and Kira’s alone.” There was a hint of triumphalism in her eyes. “Bajoran women have had enough years of having off-worlders forced upon them.”

Sisko’s blood ran cold. “Nothing will be forced on her,” he seethed through ground teeth. Only Dax’s hand on his arm stopped him getting in the woman’s face. Winn was playing with them, trying to provoke him, but for the life of him he didn’t understand why.

Winn narrowed her eyes at him speculatively. “Is that why you wish to further delay?” 

Sisko took a full breath before responding. “If you have concerns, Vedek, let’s hear them.”

“I have to admit, Emissary, I was not in favor of foisting another man on this young woman. But now…” She cast a meaningful glance at the couple winding their way through the tall grass. “Now I see I may have been too hasty.” 

Dax threw a glance at Sisko and he could see his own anger reflected in her eyes. “May I ask, Vedek, what changed your mind?”

“To be frank, I voted against this idea of an arranged marriage, child.” Winn pierced Dax with her gaze. I did not feel that Bajor—much as we truly appreciate the protection of the Federation—needed to go so far in inviting more off-worlders into the running of Bajor. Not when we had just finally got out from under so many years of occupation.”

Her lip twitched in revulsion. Sisko had the sense that this was the most honest Winn had ever been with them. He didn’t bother correcting her that the Federation had no interest in running the internal affairs of Bajor, her eyes were hard like flint; she wouldn’t believe him anyway.

“And then when Opaka named him the Emissary—well, that’s a lot to put on a young woman. I also was one of the voices arguing that Kira is too young for marriage – any marriage, much less one to a revered figure in our religion—leaving her no choice but to defer to him.”

“Vedek Winn, I would never hold my being the emissary over Kira.”

“How noble.” Winn’s tone managed to undermine any nobility in his statement. “But even if you take steps to release her from deference and obedience, she will still be beholden to the respect that is due your office as Emissary.”

“You said you were against this marriage, you still hold these opinions?” Dax cut in before Sisko could try again to belabor his point about not coercing Kira. Winn inclined her head in the affirmative.

“With this one though, with this man it’s different,” she said thoughtfully, glancing back to watch Bashir before locking her eyes on Sisko. “She is clearly not afraid of him.”

Sisko closed his eyes. The vedek’s pointed words cut him to the bone.

“And whoever this second is to be, she won’t need to defer to him, nor be subject to his every whim. And am I to assume he doesn’t outrank her?”

As Sisko was the only Federation citizen on the station who outranked Kira, he didn’t bother dignifying that comment with a reply. Winn took their silence as an affirmative presumably, dropping her interrogation as Julian and Nerys had just about caught up to them. 

Opening his eyes, Sisko took in Nerys’ wide smile, the healthy glow in her normally pale face, and how she and Julian stood side by side, almost leaning into each other.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she offered, her smile faltering under his stare.

“Not at all.” He smiled then, if somewhat awkwardly, and reached for her hand. To his relief she took it without hesitation, moving to stand beside him.

She turned a questioning gaze to Winn. “Vedek.” She bowed her head in greeting. “Is everything all right?”

Winn beamed at her. “Yes my child, all is well. Your intended has much to discuss with you.” Her eyes moved to Julian.

“Oh, I’m sorry, this is Doctor Julian Bashir, the Chief Medical Officer on the station.”

“A doctor!” Winn exclaimed. “Well.”

Julian stuck out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Vedek. The Major has been showing me a little of your beautiful Bajor.”

“And do you like what you see, doctor?”

“Oh very much, ma’am! We don’t get to come planetside often enough, it’s magnificent down here.”

Winn continued regarding him, and Julian shifted a little uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

Sisko cleared his throat. “Vedek, it’s getting late, shall we take you home?”

“I would appreciate that. We have prepared the royal bed chambers, it would be an honor to host the Emissary and his bride, and their honored guests of course.” Her eyes raked over Julian.

“Bajor hasn’t had a reigning monarchy in over a hundred years,” Kira pointed out, stepping closer to Sisko much to his gratification.

Winn inclined her head. “It’s tradition for state marriages to begin their…what is the Terran term? Honeymoon? In the state rooms we have prep—”

“Then let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Vedek,” Sisko interrupted firmly, feeling Nerys tense at his side. Her hand tightened on his. “On Earth we would consider that very bad luck indeed.”

“Oh?”

“Putting the cart before the house, wouldn’t you agree, old man?”

Dax nodded solemnly, although the translator transliterated something about horse drawn carts going backwards that made about as much sense to her as it did to the vedek, if her expression was anything to go by. Nor was she sure that ‘honeymoon’ had been translated correctly either. But if Nerys and Benjamin were as uncomfortable with spending the night here as it looked like they were, then she would support them.

“I assure you our accommodations spare no luxury.” Winn’s eyes moved back and forth between Kira and Sisko, cataloguing their reactions. “Unless I am incorrect in assuming you are yet sharing sleeping quarters?”

“We can’t stay away overnight,” Kira blurted, side-stepping the question. “We have important station business.”

“Hmm,” Dax joined in, draping her arms behind her back and putting on her most serious frown. “An invasion of nefarious Cardassian voles threatens the integrity of every system on the station.”

“We were reading reports of a new offensive wave just this morning, weren’t we Julian?” Kira put in. Sisko’s lips twitched, relief washing over him that they wouldn’t be staying here.

Julian nodded grimly, coming to stand at her other side. “Beastly, _vicious,_ little monsters. We really should be getting along.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Winn’s eyes glittered dangerously. “The council will be most dismayed. They were so looking forward to hosting you.”

She began to march primly back in the direction of the runabout. Letting out a breath, Sisko exchanged a look with his officers. 

“I don’t want to stay there,” Kira muttered, her poised calm evaporating the moment Winn turned her back on them.

He moved his hand over hers and gave her a warm smile. “Then we won’t,” he assured her, squeezing her hand. Her shoulders dropped in relief, her eyes conveying her gratitude.

They set off after Winn.

The ride back to the hall of assembly seemed interminable, Dax being careful to respect the within-atmosphere speed limits, and Winn interrogating Julian about his background, his family, and his career, the whole time. Sisko listened to the other man’s non-answers, realizing that for all he was so chatty, their young doctor never spoke about his family, or anything about his upbringing. 

They were all relieved to finally wave off the vedek. Dax relinquished piloting to Kira, who looked like she just wanted to get away—and definitely didn’t so much respect speed limits getting them back en route to Deep Space Nine. 

Sisko left her to it, Julian in the co-pilot seat, and motioned for Dax to join him at the replicator. She produced tea for them both, and they sat at the back of the runabout.

“So what’s her deal?”

“Winn?”

“Mm hm.”

“Well, she clearly has her own agenda, but what it is I honestly don’t know.” Dax sipped her tea. “I don’t even know if _she_ does, maybe it’s just a lifetime of antagonizing Cardassians and now that has become her reflexive way of dealing with off-worlders?”

“Or at least those whose coerce young Bajoran women into forced marriages,” Sisko murmured bitterly.

Dax raised her eyebrows and sucked in a breath. “I can tell you that when I was reading the council’s deliberations back when they were still contemplating the arranged marriage, Winn was vehemently against it. And she admitted as much to us today.”

“But why, old man?”

“I think she was telling the truth when she said she does not want the Federation here.”

“Nerys doesn’t think we have any business here either.”

At Dax’s skeptical look, he added, “she told me as much in no uncertain terms the first time we met. I gather it’s not an uncommon sentiment.”

“In Winn’s case she doesn’t want Bajor weakened by kowtowing to a non-spiritual set of alien races. She sees us as interlopers who will undermine the religion she has devoted her life to.” Dax tilted her head. “Or, it could be it’s because she thinks she can run Bajor better without outside interference—especially any interference of the secular persuasion. Rumor has it she has set her sights on being the next Kai.”

“Sounds about right.”

“But long before Opaka was…lost, Winn had been against the marriage from the start. Hang on, let me see if I can pull up the minutes from those meetings, I was just reading this stuff the other day.” She reached for a PADD in the case of materials she had brought to the negotiations.

“In your research on Bajoran marriage?”

Dax nodded. “Here…hall of assembly meeting, just a few months ago. Winn’s statement for the record, noting her objection at the vote. _‘We are all too familiar with men using women as their political pawns, and we resent the symbolism that Bajor is a bride that must submit to a stronger force.’_ ”

Sisko swallowed. “Not pulling any punches was she? So this is not personal then?”

“Hold on.” Dax skimmed through more paragraphs. “Winn was also among the voices arguing that the selection of Kira for a bride was inappropriate.” She kept her voice low so they wouldn’t be overhead, casting a glance in the direction of the cockpit.

Sisko bristled. “Why?”

“Simply felt that she was too young. She seems upset too that, in her opinion, the council of ministers were trying to assuage Terran’s _‘repugnant notions of female purity in refusing to consider a bride who had been—’_ ”

Dax broke off. “Um, well, you get the idea.”

He held out his hand for the PADD. “May I?”

Dax handed it to him, then clutched her tea cup with both hands, watching him.

Sisko read Winn’s statement quietly to himself. _“The Vedek Council’s readings of Terran history come up against notions of bridal purity over and over again and I strongly feel that has influenced them in selecting a bride. Making a decision on this basis will not only result in a girl too young for marriage, but by choosing someone simply because she is known to be unpartnered, and well-protected during the resistance by a father-figure like cell leader, who literally killed any Cardi who looked at her twice, results in a nervous and reluctant bride.”_

His jaw set, and his head thumped. He had been too quick to condemn Winn, her scornful derision of him made much more sense now. 

“Dax…when they say ‘purity’…”

“I don’t think their research fully grasped it,” Dax said uncertainly. “Mostly because it’s such an alien concept to them – that a woman would be considered a less valuable bride if she was sexually experienced. As far as their research got they conflated virginity with not being in a relationship at the time of the marriage being arranged – it didn’t occur to them that it would mean a woman who had _never_ been in a sexual relationship.”

“You sure?”

“I think so. Along with not getting married until they are over thirty, Bajorans would consider it anathema for someone to marry when they hadn’t had several years at least of experience _in_ relationships.”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

“There’s more though.”

Her sober tone drew his attention.

“They came to the conclusion—again based on archaic notions—that a Terran husband would not want a comfort woman, or any woman known to have been…how did Winn put it? Something like what a Terran would call ‘damaged’ by being violated by a Cardassian against their will. She is utterly disgusted at the notion that men would view a woman this way, for something that was forced upon her, either violently or by the coercion involved with comfort women.”

“She’s not alone. But these are antiquated notions. Why didn’t they just ask us?”

Dax shrugged, and turned back to her tea.

Sisko picked up the PADD again. The record continued, with Winn handling the council’s rebuttals to her arguments with: _“I do not mean say this choice of bride escaped the occupation unscathed by any means but in terms of relative inexperience, you are choosing her because that’s what the vedeks assume this Terran would desire.”_

“She…they knew it would be me? Before they even voted on going ahead with this state marriage?”

Dax nodded. “They differ from us in that they don’t vote on theoreticals, apparently. They had reached out to the Federation and asked for a shortlist of candidates. Then they profiled them, trying to make sure the marriage would work, before they even chose a bride.”

Sisko felt nauseous. His eyes skipped to the end of the report, looking at the voting tallies.

“She almost won the vote,” he muttered. “I didn’t realize it was that close. I assumed the vedeks and the council of ministers were all of one mind on this.”

“That’s what they wanted us to think. Winn believes if there were more women in the council this would never have been voted in.”

“Is that…everything?” He was almost afraid to ask.

“There’s one more thing. She also was concerned that Kira’s clashes with the nascent provisional government played a role in having her selected.”

Sisko remembered the first ever words he and Kira had ever exchanged. She had mentioned she had probably been sent up to Deep Space Nine because she disagreed with the new government, and at the time he had wondered if that had also had anything to do with her being assigned to be his bride. Apparently Winn shared his worry that they pushed a too-young bride into an arranged marriage just to get rid of a dissenting voice.

He hung his head, not even noticing the runabout had docked until Kira was standing in front of him.

“Home.” She smiled at him a little tentatively, looking back and forth between him and Jadzia. “Everything all right?”

He nodded, handing the PADD back to Dax.

“I’m sorry about Vedek Winn,” Kira offered. “I know she’s a lot to take, but she…she cares about Bajor above all.”

“She’s right about a lot of things,” Sisko muttered, rising to his feet and gesturing for Kira to walk ahead of him as they disembarked. It had been easier when he could just think of the vedek as his enemy, but now he didn’t know what to think.


	5. "If There's an Iced Tea in that Bag..."

“Julian?”

“Yes sir?”

“Could you possibly get me something for a headache?”

“A bad one?”

“A hall of assembly sized headache.”

“Right away. I’ll meet you in your quarters?”

“That would be appreciated, doctor. Thank you.”

Sisko watched the his chief medical officer as he headed out of the airlock, a bounce in his gait. Kira seemed similarly refreshed after a day planetside.

Dax came up to her and looped her arm through hers. “Do you feel up to talking so we can catch you up?”

“Of course. I’m sorry we bailed on the council of ministers stuff so quickly.”

“Don’t be.” Sisko rubbed the bridge of his nose. His head was pounding, but this conversation couldn’t wait. He didn’t want to contemplate how it could go if Nerys got wind of what was discussed today from someone else. The vedek’s insinuation that he and Dax were making a decision that was rightfully Nerys’ to make did not sit well with him at all. They had practically arranged for her to have a whole other husband, and chosen one for her to boot. No, this couldn’t wait.

He didn’t miss Kira’s confused look at Dax, then back at him. “Things didn’t go well?” 

Somehow when he looked at her things seemed less bleak. Then she reached out to touch his arm, her expression concerned, and even though he had a feeling she was at least in part making a conscious effort to so, her touch still startled and entranced him.

“Your head bothering you?” she asked tentatively.

He shook his head, even though his temples were throbbing. “You did the right thing getting out of there, Nerys. Those vedeks and ministers could barely look you in the eye anyway.”

“I know how Winn can be,” Kira offered when he and Dax fell quiet as they walked to his quarters. “It’s just…I am pretty sure she and I would be at each other’s throats if it wasn’t for the whole state marriage thing. But she has been my most staunch ally in those sessions right from the start. The council wanted the first time I met the groom,” she gestured at Sisko, “to also be the day we got married, and Winn wouldn’t hear of it. She fought for a chance for me to get to know you, and to back out if I wasn’t comfortable.”

Sisko’s eyebrows raised. He hadn’t been aware that was a possibility, but now he had even more reason to be grateful to Winn.

“Winn also said that when you arrived we should be on equal footing, and I suspect she arranged to put me in charge of the station. It should probably at least have been a colonel as your first officer.”

His eyes widened and he harrumphed. “You know that marriage or not, I wouldn’t have anyone else.”

Nerys clearly didn’t know how to respond to that, and she looked away, after giving him a small embarrassed smile. “I know Winn is harsh, and focused on power, but if you knew what she has been through…what the Cardassians did to female clerics like her when they destroyed monasteries...”

She trailed off, looking pale. Jadzia squeezed her arm.

Once they were ensconced in Sisko’s quarters Dax pressed a glass into her hands.

Kira looked down at the brown beverage.

“It’s tea,” Jadzia said with a small smile.

“It’s cold?”

“Iced tea. I think you’ll like it.”

“Hmm, thanks. What did I miss at the negotiations today?”

Dax sat down. “Well, the council elaborated on what they meant by a _second_.”

“Oh.” Kira looked back and forth between them, her legs turning to jelly at the seriousness in their expressions. “I was hoping we could skip that,” she muttered, then promptly sat down at the table beside Dax. “Winn said she would make sure it was in name only.”

“We think it might end up being a little more…” Dax said gently.

Kira sipped the tea cautiously. It was mostly sugar, she surmised. It tasted like something they might have given to a resistance fighter if he was going into shock. Did Jadzia and Benjamin think this notion of a polyamorous marriage was news to her? 

“It’s just how Bajoran marriages are done—not all of them, but this kind anyway.” She tried to catch Sisko’s eye. “Is it going to be a big problem?” His silence was worrying her.

He met her eyes. “No, we can work it out,” he said softly, summoning up a small smile.

She blew out a breath in relief. “We never even have to meet him. Just pick a name. We’ve got this far,” she offered hopefully. 

“Yes we have.” His smile broadened. “And you are right about Winn—she’s hard to take, but she is passionate in her defense of you, and Bajor. She doesn’t want this for you, for any Bajoran woman.”

Kira bit her lip. “Benjamin—”

“No, it’s okay, I don’t mean that as any kind of criticism. She is right about a lot of things. We just need her to see we care about you too.”

“And we aren’t the monster she thinks the Federation is,” Dax added gravely.

Kira looked down. “I know how she feels, because it was how I saw the Federation too before I got to know you.”

“Then it will just take time,” Sisko offered, stiffly sitting down at the table with them.

“Speaking of,” Jadzia broke in, holding Sisko’s eyes for a beat, “we may have found a way to delay the wedding. Maybe for a whole year.”

Kira’s eyes widened. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? They’ll never go for that! I’m surprised they’ve even given us this long.”

Dax looked to Sisko to elaborate, but when he hesitated, seemingly overwhelmed, she stepped in again. “There is something else they want, enough that they might agree to hold off.”

Kira went still. “What?”

“The second.”

She swallowed. “Go on.”

“We were thinking…if we found someone you were comfortable with then he could be a part of the ceremony, and maybe to some extent be a part of your married lives afterwards too – so that as far as the council is concerned, he’s—”

“More than in-name-only?” Kira breathed. Her stomach did a cartwheel.

“Or at least the appearance of it. You definitely _don’t_ have to sleep with him.”

Kira slammed her eyes closed. She appreciated that Dax often got straight to the point, but on these delicate matters it was sometimes more than knew what to do with.

“Nerys?” Dax prompted softly. 

“I’m okay,” she said tightly. “There’s not anyone else.” Even as she said it though, she knew it wasn’t entirely true.

“Nerys,” Benjamin spoke then. “Do you remember what Kai Opaka said?”

She opened her mouth but no words came, she just stared at him in dawning realization that he was thinking of the same person as she was.

Kira couldn’t help it, she shrank back. Would Benjamin be angry? Would he think her unfaithful?

Dax moved to her side immediately, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay, it’s just an idea. Do you know who we are talking about?”

Kira’s mouth was too dry to speak. So she just raised her eyes to Jadzia’s. 

“It’s Julian,” Dax said with a soft smile. “Federation citizen, unmarried, right age, and you two get along.”

Unable to breathe, Kira’s eyes were drawn ineluctably back to Sisko. He was leaning towards her in concern.

She took a breath. “We…we’re just friends,” She swallowed painfully then remembered she had a glass of tea clutched in her hand and drained the rest of the glass.

“I know,” Sisko murmured, his voice tinged with sadness, and maybe regret, but definitely not anger, she noted with relief.

“There are worse places for a marriage to start from than friendship,” Dax offered.

“Is that…would you be okay with Julian?” she ventured. She couldn’t take her eyes from Sisko’s, some part of her still terrified of his reaction, that he would be furious to discover how close she and the doctor had become.

His eyebrows rose. “It’s what _you_ want, Nerys.”

She didn’t move or speak. She wanted to correct him, but then did Terrans even know how poly marriages work? Of course the choice of a second wasn’t just what _she_ wanted. 

Sisko glanced at Dax, his brow furrowing worriedly before he looked back to Kira. “But yes, yes of course, I would be okay with Julian. He’s a good man, he would be kind, and gentle. He cares a lot about you, Nerys. He would never hurt you.”

She breathed out in a rush, her head swimming.

Just then the door chimed, and in walked none other than Julian himself.

Nerys dropped her face into her hands, unable to process that this was actually happening.

“Sorry for the delay, sir, I’ve got that hypospray for your headache. A couple of Tholian merchants got into a scrap while we were away, just had to reattach some…” His voice trailed off. “Nerys, are you all right?”

She lifted her head. Poor Julian was standing there, his med kit in one hand, looking bewildered. Dax and Sisko were just staring at him, and she probably looked as stunned as she felt.

He hurried to her side, handing off the hypospray to Sisko as he passed him. Then he crouched down beside her chair, completely ignoring the other two senior officers now.

“Nerys?”

She mustered up a smile, unable to tear her eyes away from his. 

“I’m fine,” she assured him. She couldn’t stop her voice shaking. “Can I…can we talk a little bit later?”

He pulled back a little, scanning her with his tricorder now. She just waited, knowing him well enough at this point to know nothing would deter him from making sure a potential patient was stable before he would consider leaving them alone.

“Okay,” he said slowly, after checking all her vitals. “If you’re sure?”

She nodded. “I’ll come down to the infirmary?”

“I’ll be there when you are ready.” He looked utterly perplexed, and shot a glance at Dax and Sisko.

“We’ll take care of her, Julian,” Dax murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, doctor,” Sisko added, handing him back the empty hypospray.

“How’s the head?” Julian slowly rose to a standing position again, but didn’t budge from his almost sentry-like protective stance at Kira’s side. 

“Much better, thanks to you.”

He nodded at that. “Probably being stuck in those meetings all day.” He was aiming for casual, but it was obvious he was testing the waters, trying to get a sense of what he had walked in on.

Sisko grinned at him, trying for reassuring. “I definitely think you got the better end of the deal, walking around Bajoran farmland instead.”

“I won’t argue with you there,” Julian replied automatically, his eyes drifting back to Kira. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Nerys?”

“Yes.” She breathed out, willing herself to sound more normal. “Thank you, Julian.”

“Okay then, if you’re positive. I’ll see you soon?”

She pressed her lips together. His earnest concern was melting her heart. “I’ll be right down.”

“Okay,” he repeated, reaching out to touch her arm very lightly. “I can stay if you want me to?”

She shook her head. “I really am fine. Everything’s all right, we just need to discuss a couple of things.”

She brushed her fingers over his and heard Kai Opaka in her head as clear as a bell, just one word, said with reverence and joy. _Husband._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See next story in the series for continuation!

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies that these chapters are sometimes short, I'm just leaving spaces in case I want to fill them in later (like I said, it's therapy!)  
> I have another chapter almost ready.  
> Kudos and commented craved :)


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